Silence
by Beansxx
Summary: to be edited
1. Silence

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own the characters or places. I do not make profit from the free online publication of this piece of fiction.

Hey everybody! After forever and a half, I've got this bitch revised. Be warned, it's a bit wordy; since Silence began, my style has been influenced by Nathaniel Hawthorne and F. Scott Fitzgerald, two amazing dead guys introduced to me by my American Lit teacher. Please don't worry about it, though, because the basic story hasn't changed, just the style! It feels...fancier. Like not totally fancy, but about as fancy as a kid can make it, amirite?

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy my revision. I feel less iffy about it now; hopefully I won't feel the need to put you guys through this shit again! Rofls and a half. So now I'm just going to state ahead of time that all descriptions of sign language are half-assedly researched. I have only one website that I like to use [and I'm just lazy] so some things may be incorrect or I may resolve to spelling words out instead of using full signs. That being said, leave the drama with your llama! If you have a problem, address me politely and we'll work out a solution like civilized human beings. I don't like being rude or mean, so please give me the same respect that I will do my damnedest to give you all. HEARTSN'LOVE!

Onward!

* * *

Existence was silent. A mélange of colors and shapes, everything interesting, but frighteningly quiet. It was a surreal experience, like a dream, to be suddenly deafened; to have to learn how to communicate all over again. To live in silence was to live in an almost entirely different world, and this undeniable truth would strike one particularly unfortunate family, quite unexpectedly and quite tragically, as fate would have it.

Life had always been pleasant for a boy named Sora and his brother, Roxas. The first few years of the twins' lives were perfect. They had a loving, beautiful mother, and a strong, protecting father. While the woman was mild-mannered and sweet, her husband matched her perfectly in manner, but being a military man, he was stern and tried to teach his boys discipline and respect.

Sora and Roxas loved and respected their father - a man by the name of Cloud Strife Highwind - for they knew that he had been through quite a bit of hardship. He had never known his mother, who had died soon following his birth due to a lifelong heart condition. His father worked hard to support him, and because of this he couldn't pay much attention to young Cloud. The blond had been half on his own for most of his life, and - knowing his story - his sons appreciated that he could be there for them; that he would all too willingly give them what he could never have.

In his youth, Cloud had a friend named Sephiroth. The pair had been in high school together and had both taken part in varsity lacrosse; their involvement in the sport was how the two had met. They had never been an argumentative pair of boys, with never a serious nor long lasting dispute - until a girl named Aerith Gainsborough came into their lives.

Aerith was a quiet girl with an endearing affinity for flowers. She had befriended the pair on a class trip, and immediately Sephiroth was infatuated with her; however, she gravitated almost naturally to Cloud, who possessed a less intimidating - maybe even needy; desperate for that feminine comfort that the lack of a mother had always denied him – air about him while Sephiroth practically radiated strength, power, and a natural beauty; he seemed almost Godly. Aerith seemed to prefer Cloud's simple appearance, pleasant company, and the flaws that kept his essence within the realm of humanity, and so they became sweethearts.

The rejection frustrated Sephiroth, but he and Cloud remained friends. They had to. He had to hand it to Cloud; if he could lure such a wonderful girl away from the promising allure of the platinum-haired Adonis, he deserved her. Underneath the commendation, however, he figured that she would get bored and eventually leave the blond for him. He thought she would come to him with desire for someone stronger and more secure. Someone more masculine. Someone _better_.

Sephiroth's hopes were crushed. Aerith and Cloud remained together, and even when Cloud was serving in the military as a Marine, she was faithful to the man. Later, they were married and soon after had two beautiful children together, for whom Sephiroth was the godfather. But he continued to wait for Aerith. His obsession for her drove other potential partners away until he could no longer have a healthy relationship with anyone, and as he began to realize his mistake, he grew angry and bitter. He eventually came to hate Aerith for not realizing that she could do so much better than the troubled blond. For making a great man with so much promise as Sephiroth to waste his life pining for her.

One day, he just killed her. He had no prior psychopathic fits, no deep depression; just bottled-up anger. All he did was invite her out to lunch, and strangle her in his car. He drove the corpse to his home where a noose hung in the garage; waiting to embrace his own neck. It had been strange to everyone, that - although the man had still been close to the couple as a trusted family friend, even though he was their sons' "Uncle Sephie" who had watched them so that Cloud an Aerith could could have some time to themselves – he would do something so odd, as a respectable and well-loved man, as to just up and kill his best friend's wife.

Cloud knew that Sephiroth had wanted Aerith. He knew that his friend thought him an inadequate match for her, and he knew that Sephiroth had been waiting with false hopes all these years for Aerith to realize it, and in one fell swoop she was taken; his sons were without a mother, like he had been. He felt as inadequate as his friend had seen him; he could no longer give his sons everything.

The boys were ten when Aerith was killed. Cloud took to drinking after the fact, trying to rid himself of the overwhelming feeling of inadequacy following the deaths that plagued him. He couldn't help but feel that it was all his fault; if only he had let Sephiroth have Aerith, they would both still be alive - his beloved friends.

He had never much liked alcohol or taken to drinking before then, but soon Sora and Roxas discovered a good reason as to why he never should have.

Despite being deaf, Sora could clearly remember the noise. Oh, how his father would holler and screech, and batter Sora and Roxas. The boys didn't know how he was feeling or why he was feeling it; they only knew that he was hurting them, and it was because of their mother's death.

One night, the year the boys turned eleven, Sora was home alone. Roxas had been invited to a sleepover at a friend's house, but Sora hadn't. The boys would hardly separate from each other then, but Sora did not want to be rude and invite himself along with his brother, or deny Roxas a personal life with his own friends and his own happiness. He was terrified of his father's return, but dutifully he stayed home and allowed his brother to have one night of solace, despite the blond's protests and offers to call his friend and ask if the brunet could come along. No; he would stay home. It wouldn't be a big deal.

_"Ill go to bed early."_ he said. _"I'll be okay for one night."_

While he sat at the table doing his homework, Sora imagined his brother at the sleepover; smiling, playing video games, eating dinner, all without fear of when – oh, how he hated never knowing when – their father would come home and whip them sore with his leather belt before eating the dinner they had so carefully prepared for him – one burned dish and he would go wild - before stumbling off to bed.

That night, Sora had just finished making dinner to leave out for his father. He wasn't hungry; his appetite had been ruined by the anxiety of waiting for his father's drunken return. As he had promised his brother, he wanted to turn in early, hoping that if he wasn't in the immediate vicinity upon Cloud's arrival home, the man wouldn't be bothered to look for him – especially in a drunken stupor.

Homework seemed to take forever, and it was ten o'clock by the time the brunet was finished with it. All the while, he kept an eye on his father's dinner – he was making the man's favorite: spaghetti.

As he was setting the bowl of pasta and sauce on the table, his father stormed into the house, rampaging as usual. He spotted Sora as he was trying to nonchalantly retreat to his bedroom and, although terrified, the boy tried not to provoke his father by running. Cloud scrambled after him anyway, and grabbed him roughly by the back of his neck. Cloud's grip was strong, and the pain of being grabbed so harshly blurred the boy's vision for a moment. When his vision cleared, he sincerely wished that he had been knocked unconscious on sight.

The next two hours were a terror the likes of which Sora had never thought he would experience alone. This was the aftermath of his mother's death; this beating was affiliated with that, he knew, and it must have been something he had done. He and Roxas must have been the reason their mother had died; they must have had something to do with it somehow. They must have done something terrible for their father to hate them so much. Though the man never said it aloud, the truth rang crystal clear in his actions. He hated his sons.

_"He hates me..."_

Cloud shook him about like a rag doll, punching and shouting at him. He threw Sora onto the glass coffee table, shattering it. The boy landed in a way that had his entire body in burning agony, and because he could not lift himself from the floor, he curled up amongst the sea of shattered glass and splintered wood, allowing himself to be kicked and beaten mercilessly, winded by each blow until he no longer had the breath to cry out. Cloud lifted him by the shirt and threw him across the room, and his body was followed by a chair, then a beating with the man's belt. By midnight, Sora could no longer find the strength to even keep his eyes open, and Cloud was beginning to sober up. However, the commotion had the neighbors worried, and they called the police, fearing the worst once silence had finally settled over the street.

The police arrived at the house to find a destroyed living room and Sora unconscious a the far corner of the living room, shattered glass protruding from his flesh and blanketed by splintered wood from a kitchen chair. Cloud sat unmoving on the floor amongst the remains of the coffee table, staring at the wall before him, cheeks wet and stained with the tracks of tears, looking like a tragic painting with his injured son and the chaotic state of the room an appropriate background for his trembling form. He could only imagine that adding his own blood would make it a more fitting picture to express his state of mind.

_"God damn it,"_ he said feverishly, _"Just shoot me."_

Instead, Cloud was arrested.

The ambulance arrived soon after the police, and Sora was taken to the hospital. He was treated in the E.R. for a broken leg, a fractured clavicle, three broken ribs, and shallow lacerations all over his body. Thankfully, there was no further damage – no internal bleeding, no ruptures, nothing that could cause long-term damage to his body - as far as the doctors knew.

Sora slept through the night and most of the next day. When he woke, his brother and grandfather were by his side, both of their faces tearful and worried. Roxas climbed onto the bed with him and began to whisper in his ear, but Sora could not hear him. His brother's mouth was moving, Sora could feel the blond's breath on his ear, but no sound came out. Grandpa Cid was saying something, wrapping his arms around the two boys, yet still no sound fell from their lips. Sora could feel their chests hum with vibrations and he could feel their breath ghosting over his ears and cheeks, but that was the only way he could even tell they were speaking if he wasn't watching them.

He began to panic. The terror that gripped him upon the discovery of this silence had him feeling nauseous. He trembled and began to sweat, and he felt dizzy. An overwhelming sense of dread overcame him, and breathing suddenly became difficult. He threw his arms around his grandfather and began to sob in fearful hysteria. He didn't know what was wrong, nor did anyone else. He then let go of his grandfather and began to hit himself in the head, and bang his head against the plastic head of the hospital bed, tearing at his hair and ears, screaming. Cid himself began to panic when he couldn't console his grandson so to cease the violent panic attack, the attending nurse had to sedate him until the doctors took him away to run some tests and find out what was wrong

When he awoke, the doctors informed him that he was deaf, and they had him write down exactly what he remembered of the previous night. They then told him that due to the extensive trauma to his head, his loss of hearing could be permanent.

This upset Sora. He cried for hours, unable to control his volume, and once again he was an inconsolable mess. His sobs haunted the his brother and grandfather as he called desperately for his father.

_"Dad!"_ He wailed, _"Daddy! ...I want my dad!"_

However, Cloud was not allowed to see either of his sons after what he had done. Not long after Sora was released from the hospital, Cloud was brought to court. He was sentenced to four years in prison, and custody of the boys was handed over to his father, Cid Highwind.

"Sora has suffered some trauma to his head, which in turn caused some inner-ear trauma to either his cochlea or his auditory nerve." Sora's doctor informed Cid. "Trauma to either of these can cause sensorineural hearing loss, which seems to be the case with Sora." he continued. Cid frowned.

"Well, now what does that mean? Is it permanent?" he asked.

"Sensorineural hearing loss can be either permanent or temporary, but due to the extent of Sora's injuries, I wouldn't count on the latter. In fact, he may never hear again." the doctor replied solemnly, placing a hand on Cid's shoulder. "All you can do is either accept it, or hope and pray that the damage will heal itself. In the meantime, I've prepared a list of schools in the area for disabled children; I strongly advise enrolling him. He'll learn how to sign, which means that you and Roxas should also take classes. The guidance department at the boys' current school should provide such classes for Roxas, and classes for adults are also provided at some of the listed schools."

"Thank you kindly." Cid thanked him, shaking the doctor's hand. "I'll 'git him in that new school right away. Now...I know this might be an odd question, but what 'bout my son? Can he...ever see the boys again?" he asked tentatively. The doctor's expression turned grim.

"As long as he conforms to the terms of his parole and receives therapy as well as anger management, within a few years he can regain custody of his sons." the doctor said.

"Well...I dun' want my son out of jail with nowhere to go, so I'm askin' 'cause I'd like to take 'im in when he 'gits outta' the pen." Cid explained. The doctor arched an eyebrow.

"Well, if that's the case, then he won't be allowed to be alone with the boys, I hope you realize."

"Mos' definitely." Cid replied. "I care 'bout my son, but I care 'bout my grandbabies, too." he replied.

Within the week, Sora was enrolled in a school for disabled children called the Lady Maleficent Memorial Rehabilitation Center for Disabled and Handicapped Youth. Sora picked up signs as if it were a natural skill; both of the twins learned them quickly. Cid's progress was slow, but he and the boys appreciated how much closer Sora's new disability and their own silent little language had brought them.

After the initial shock of hearing loss had worn off, life was pleasant for Sora for the first time in a long time. This new silent world he lived in wasn't so bad, albeit still rather lonely. Almost nobody could communicate with him except for Roxas – their grandfather's slow learning being a bit of a setback - and he had to use Roxas to communicate for him outside of school. Because he had known how to speak beforehand, he could still speak properly and clearly, relying heavily on vibration for volume and tone, however it was an unreliable method, so he was mostly quiet and didn't much like to speak aloud.

Roxas, of course, loved his brother so much that he didn't mind not having an average social life, and made it evident to Sora every day. The brunet was all the social life he needed, which was what he would tell anyone who asked, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Baww, Grandpa Cid. = w=

You probably noticed, but I totally gave up on Cid's dialect. I toned it down a dickload, hope y'all don't mind. Also, I gave a specific cause to Sora's hearing loss, which makes me feel heaps better about the whole situation.


	2. A Reluctant Reunion

CHAPTER TWO! WOOOOOOOOO.

Alright ladies. Cloud and Sora interaction times in this chapter, SO BRACE FOR IMPACT. POW

School is kicking my ass, you guys. Two weeks until summer and they're just PILING on the work like wet blankets over hte spirit of summer vacation!

FUCK SCHOOL, I SAY. FUCKIT.

* * *

As the boys entered high school, life continued its pleasant ascension into relative normalcy. It wasn't until they were fifteen that their father was released from prison, receiving the necessary therapy and taking the anger management classes he would need to get his sons back. For a while he lived on his own, but when he was legally permitted to be around his sons again he moved in with his father and the boys.

The moment Cloud stepped over the threshold, Cid dragged him into the kitchen to give him the tongue-lashing he'd been waiting to give him for the past four years.

"...Your own flesh n' blood! An' what do you do! You beat 'em like cattle! Thought I did a dandy goddamn job givin' you a good upbringin'! Sure, I smacked you 'round some when you was bad; _I_ never beat you deaf or nothin'! _Tough love__'s_ what I gave you, boy, not _abuse_ Like _your_ poor kids got, and for what? Their 'ma dyin'! Poor boys 'prolly think it's all their fault she's gone!"

Cloud was suddenly on the defensive. "I never blamed them for anything. I never told them it was their fault." he said flatly.

"You sure treated 'em like it was, an' I got half a mind to crack you right upside that empty flowerpot for a fuckin' head!" roared Cid, and Cloud shrunk back, recognizing that his father was right, and he may as well have just told the boys right out that it _was_ their fault.

The twins watched, peering around the door frame from the hallway as their father sat, head hung in shame as he took the vicious tongue-lashing, knowing that he deserved every word of it. Finally, when Cid had nothing more to say, he beckoned his son to him and embraced Cloud as the younger blond sobbed into his father's shoulder and apologized for everything he had done.

"Dad, I-I'm so sorry.! I hurt _everyone!_" he cried. "Aerith would be so disappointed in me; I hurt our sons - our _babies_, Dad, I _damaged_ my _babies_! I've ruined their lives; I've ruined _everything_!"

Cid rubbed comforting circles on the man's back as if he were once again seven years old. "I don't think you should be 'pologizin' to me." Cid said gently. "Roxas, bring your brother in here."

Startled by Cid's acknowledgment of both his and Sora's' presence – especially when he looked their way – Roxas took Sora's hand and led him into the kitchen.

"Sorry Grandpa, we just - " he began, but his grandfather cut him off.

"Now don't go 'pologizin'! You got nothin' to 'pologize for." he said, translating with uncertain hands as he spoke. "It's your dad who needs to say sorry."

Both boys turned to their teary-eyed father. He looked down at them, but he couldn't hold back tears when he set his gaze upon their wary, distrustful faces. He sat down in a nearby chair with his face in his hands, only his sniffling and ragged breaths filling in the silence. When he finally was calm, he looked up, directing his gaze at Roxas.

"I've done some things...to you two...that a good father wouldn't _dream_ of doing." he began, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I should have been a better father. I should have protected you. I should have helped you; I should have realized that there were two..._beautiful_ little boys that were hurting just as much as I was, but I chose to push my hurt onto you instead. Doing that, I can't imagine how I must have destroyed you. After we lost your mother...I began slipping further and further away from reality; I just wanted her back, and I didn't realize how much you needed me. All I knew was that _I_ needed _her_. There's nothing I can do to undo what I did. You don't have to forgive me; I know I never will, but...all I ask is that you let me be here. Please, let me do everything I can to make you happy. I'll be here for you from now on – I don't ever want to hurt you again." He reached out and clasped one of Roxas' hands in both of his, begging him.

Roxas just stood there, staring icily at this pathetic man. He hadn't seen Cloud in years, and it felt like he was being confronted by a stranger. His lips twitched as he considered Cloud for a moment, eyes searching his father's for any hint of falsehood.

"Y-Yeah." he replied finally, almost timidly, cold gaze melting. He felt confused and flustered now; here was a once powerful and terrifying man. This was a man he had once feared – now sitting before him, begging for his forgiveness. "I need some time. To get used to you." he added before he turned and quickly left the room. Cid looked down at Cloud before following Roxas.

Cloud gazed at Sora with the same pathetic, pleading face that had swayed Roxas. Sora stared back at him with complete disgust; an accusatory expression that pierced Cloud's heart. It was a look that the blond knew was meant to tell him that this was all his fault, and Sora did not trust him, or like him, or was anywhere close to forgiving him.

"I'm sorry. What I did was wrong." he said using both voice and hands. Sora looked surprised that his father could also use signs, to which confused expression Cloud smiled weakly. With insecure hesitation, the man continued.

Sora nodded as he pointed to his own temple with one forefinger and at Cloud with the other before bringing the first finger down to join the other, both now pointing at Cloud. He was agreeing; yes, he agreed, his father had been wrong.

"I hurt you." Cloud said, his shy smile faltering as be brought both of his own forefingers toward each other, one hand twisting one way while the other hand twisted the other way in two swift jabbing motions. He then pointed at Sora. The brunet's surprised expression quickly faded to annoyance. In response, Sora brought his forefinger and middle finger on one hand down to meet his thumb on that same hand in a closing motion as he shook his head, and then he curled his finger against his cheek and brought it down in an arch, placing the tip of his curled finger in the middle of his other palm.

"_Didn't notice._" he had said, and Cloud laughed bitterly at his son's sarcastic reply.

"I'm so sorry." he then said with a sorrowful expression as he drew clockwise circles over his chest, hand curled into a fist. "I can't forgive myself." holding both index fingers out, he brought his right finger down sharply and whacked the nail of his left finger, then spelled out 'forgive', and finally pointed to himself. He dabbed at the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and Sora just stood there, watching his father beat himself up. Neither moved, and they stared at each other for what felt like ages before Sora sighed heavily, rolling his eyes before bringing his hands up and curling them both into fists, sharply bringing them down once. 'Can', was the word, and he spelled 'forgive'.

A feeling of relief washed over Cloud and he took Sora's hands in his. He crossed his own wrists over his chest in the sign for love, holding Sora's hands gently as he did so.

Despite saying that he could possibly forgive his father, for a while Sora border-lined on hating him for taking away what little normalcy he had managed to retain after his mother's death. Sora had tried very hard to seem okay, but if Cloud's deplorable behavior hadn't been enough, he had permanently disabled the brunet.

Gradually, however, Sora began to get used to his father again. He wouldn't hug the man for a long time. Doing so was uncomfortable - even frightening, as if Sora feared that his father would harm him again if he let his guard down for even a moment; Cloud's touch was still a thing to be feared by Sora at first, but after almost two years, Sora loved him. Everything was becoming right again, but the small family – happy once again – learned to accept that time does not heal _all_ wounds.

Sora and Roxas were now in high school. Every day, Sora would sit in class facing his brother, who signed to him, remarkably just as fast as the teacher was talking. Occasionally, during down-time, Roxas would sign something funny to him in order to cheer him up. Sora appreciated his brother's comfort; after all, being deaf was still inescapably frightening and lonely, but as long as he had his loved ones, he knew could live with it.  


* * *

  
OH AND BY THE WAY

I'm posting these while I revise, so by the time you actually get around to reading this, any life updates I bitch about will probably be outdated by several weeks/months/lengthy periods of time.


	3. A Fistfight, a Casualty

SECOND CHAPTER, WHORES, SECOND CHAPTER.

The title of the chapter has nothing to do with anything, so we can ignore it for the sake of ignoring it. =D I just like my fans to be able to keep track of which chapter they last read. Yay!

So here's chapter two!

* * *

"I'm serious, give me my bag, lamer!" Seifer demanded, reaching up towards his book bag, which currently a tall redhead held out of the blond's reach.

"Jump for it, short shit." the taller student taunted, lowering the bag, then lifting it out of reach again when Seifer grabbed for it.

"Axel, I swear, if you don't give me my damn bag - "

"What? What'll happen, short shit? You'll tell a teacher on me? Boo-hoo!" with one hand, the student named Axel hurled the bag as easily as he would a baseball down the hallway, and a couple of freshmen had to duck so as to avoid being decapitated by the projectile schoolwork receptacle. The muffled sound of porcelain smashing within its cloth confines reverberated throughout the hallway as the bag finally crash landed several yards down the hall, right on the tile floor. Seifer's face turned red with anger. Axel had smashed a very expensive, very breakable family heirloom that Seifer had brought to school for a History project. Even so delicately wrapped in tissue paper and a large woolen scarf, the tile floor was hard and Axel's forceful throw had only further sealed the heirloom's fate, and the rare and expensive vase was never to be passed down to Seifer's children, or his children's children, and so on.

Livid, the blond leaped at Axel, knocking him to the floor. He began to throw punches, managing to crack the redhead across the jaw and land a blow to his chest. Axel immediately struck back, elbowing Seifer in the abdomen to get him off. He had the other boy winded for just enough time to get back to his feet before he was once again forced into defense mode. The fight continued; the boys pushed, shoved, punched, smacked, kicked, and in general just _fought_ each other tooth and nail down the hallway as the ruckus became a traveling match. A crowd of students followed them, cheering. Although most were actually enjoying the scene, some were ready to jump in if things got bad.

Well..._worse_.

The fight stopped for a minute at the bathrooms, the two boys out of breath, yet ever at the ready to rip each other's throats out. Everything went silent for a minute while the boys fixed each other with murderous glares, save for the couple in the corner between the drinking fountains and the men's room door - a blond Junior whose name Axel didn't know and Riku, a well-known senior – looking like they were trying to eat each other's faces off. Noticing Axel's momentary distraction , Seifer lunged at him, starting up the fight once more. The fight went on for a few more minutes before Axel had to push Seifer away once more so that he could catch his breath again. Seifer stepped back, then took two powerful steps forward and rammed his shoulders into Axel's sternum. Having an incredibly thin body, Axel was actually quite heavy, but apparently not too heavy for Seifer. This was proven as the blond knocked Axel backwards, and the redhead tensed up, bracing himself for the impending impact with the metal lockers.

He heard the crash of a body against the lockers, but the body wasn't his. Instead of hitting the lockers, he had hit something softer and smaller than himself. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as Seifer rammed into him again. Whomever Axel had hit before - at a glance, apparently smaller student - dodged this time, but just when Axel stole another glance behind himself, the kid tripped over his own feet and fell anyway. Axel rolled his eyes – clumsy idiot. He turned, glaring at Seifer.

"Come _on_, short shit! You're turning me into a projectile _weapon_, here." he growled. "This fight is _ours_, and no one else's!" he feigned a lurch toward the blond, who flinched. Sure, Axel was a jerk, who had just broken a classmate's precious family heirloom - although in the redhead's perspective, Seifer had it coming - but his beef was with Seifer, not with the kid, and he wasn't going to let Seifer just keep going when now there was obviously someone in danger.

Axel, though he was a jerk, was still a fair guy. He mostly just picked on kids who picked on other kids, like Seifer, who picked on anyone lacking in height or muscles, or both. The kid that Axel had been shoved into was just so tiny – he looked so helpless. Axel was angry that Seifer would keep attacking him, even though it put an innocent bystander who hadn't even seen them coming – though why he hadn't heard them coming and moved out of the way was beyond him – in danger.

"If you didn't constantly _start_ shit, then it wouldn't have happened!" Seifer countered fiercely. Axel shoved him.

"Get out of here," he ordered, "before I grab the nearest object and _shove it up your ass_!"

Seifer flinched - this time only slightly - when Axel made threatening advances and gestures.

"I said _leave_!" Axel ordered.

Seifer opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to decide against it when he just closed his mouth and walked away - probably to fetch his bag and leave. Axel warily watched him go before turning to the fallen student, kneeling beside him to make sure he was alright. He inspected the boy for injuries, pressing down on places, and waiting for the boy to tell him whether anything hurt. The younger male said nothing, but he did look drowsy, and Axel wondered if he had hit his head too hard.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked. No answer. "Hey - hey, are you alright? Did I hurt you?" he tried again, waving his hand in the boy's face to get his attention. All the brunet did was shake his head. "Kid, you need to say something."

"Can't...I can't..." the brunet mumbled. He didn't, who by not seem to be listening.

"Can't what?" the redhead asked, but was distracted from any possible answer by a commotion stirring up from the crowd of students.

"Get the _hell_ out of my way!" a voice bellowed as someone crashed angrily through the crowd of students with the fury of a stampeding herd of elephants. As he shoved two kids at the front of the crowd out of the way, Axel recognized him as the blond who had been making out with Riku at the bathrooms. He knelt down next to the redhead, who noted their almost identical features - this boy was probably the kid's brother. His twin, most likely. The blond took the boy from Axel, fixing him with a murderous glare before directing his attention to the brunet. Axel watched him, not appreciating the harsh treatment at all; especially after taking responsibility and stopping a _fistfight_ to prevent further damage to the boy. Granted, the fistfight _had_ been Axel's fault, but any injury the kid may have sustained was all on Seifer's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he began, "I got pushed into him."

"Get the hell out of here! I'll snap your neck like a _chicken_!" the blonde threatened sharply, and Axel held up his hands in defense as he stood.

"Jeez, calm the fuck down." he said irately, standing. Fuck it - if this kid as going to be a jerk, Axel would help no further. As he retreated, he heard the blond shouting at the crowd of students, who for some reason were still just standing around as if they were expecting the brunet to die suddenly, or another fight to break out.

"Well? Get the hell out of here!" he shouted, and the hallway erupted with murmurs as the crowd finally dispersed.

* * *

SOOOOO. I finished his in health class...YAY USELESS CLASSES WOOOOOOO. Chapter three...upppp. -rollroll-


	4. Vanilla Twilight

REVIZZLED.

This one's about Roxy and his social life. Or almost lack thereof.

But it's a good thing he found himself a baby love. =D

* * *

After calling Cloud for a ride home, Roxas explained the situation to his father.

"Sora got a little banged up. I was in the bathroom, and I heard this ruckus as a fight _passed by_. It was so weird. They like, traveled down the hallway. I followed them, but I was a little too late to keep Sora from getting hurt." Roxas hung his head. "I'm _really_ sorry, Cloud." His father shook his head, glancing at Sora in the rear-view mirror.

"Don't worry about it, Roxas. You couldn't have known what was going to happen." Cloud reassured his older son, patting the boy's shoulder. "So, do you have any plans this afternoon?" he asked. Roxas blinked. Cloud arched an eyebrow. "You know, _activities_. Grandpa and I will take care of Sora, so...if you have any plans, you can do whatever - if you want." Roxas shrugged.

"Well, my friends invited me to town today, but I was going to be with Sora, so I turned them down." he said, and Cloud frowned. Going to town sounded like a fun time for Roxas; the younger blond deserved a little time with his friends. After all, it was surprising the poor kid even had any friends, what with all the time he devoted to his brother. "I should stay with Sora, though - he might be hurt." the young blond insisted. Cloud shook his head as he pulled into the driveway.

"No, I _insist_ that you go out and have a good time." he said, smiling and ruffling Roxas' blond spikes even further into disarray. "Nine o'clock is your curfew, though."

"But what if Sora needs me?" Roxas asked as he got out of the car, opening the back door for Sora.

"Sora will be fine, you crazy worry-wart." the older blond laughed, but Roxas frowned.

"Yeah, but - " Cloud fixed him with a look - one of those parental looks that commanded Roxas to shut up and just listen.

"All you do is spend time with your brother. The point of having friends is to spend time with them once in a blue moon." he said. "I promise, Sora will survive a few hours without you."

Roxas wanted to believe Cloud, but in the back of his mind he still remembered that last time, Sora almost didn't survive. Cloud didn't seem to realize the weight of his words on Roxas' conscience. Closing the car door for Sora before reluctantly shooting Riku a quick text, the three went inside and while Cloud explained the situation to Cid, Roxas got ready and not ten minutes after arriving home, someone honked a horn outside.

"That's Riku! Bye dad!" Roxas called from the front hallway.

"Remember! Nine o'clock on the dot!" Cloud called from his position on the couch, a sleeping Sora's head now resting in his lap as his fingers raked gently through the soft brown hair, eyes fixated on the television screen that was currently displaying "Doctor G's Medical Mysteries."

"Yeah." Roxas replied, the response slightly muffled by him pulling a sweatshirt over his head.

"Oh, and be careful! Don't get kidnapped, raped, murdered, emotionally battered, or otherwise physically or mentally injured." Cloud added as an afterthought. "Because if you end up on Dr. G I'm going to be highly upset."

"Whatever, Cloud. I'm leaving." Roxas laughed.

"Bye." Cloud muttered, distracted by the show.

"Bye, Cloud! Bye, Grandpa!" after hearing Cid mutter something from the kitchen, Roxas closed the door behind him, hurrying down the brick walkway to Riku's car. It was a beautiful machine; a sleek, black 2010 Toyota Prius. He rounded the front and opened the door, sliding into the front seat and relaxing into the steel-gray leather. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"What's with the sudden desire to see me? Aside from the obvious." came that deep, velvety voice from the driver's side as the car started moving.

"Cloud _insisted_ that I go out today." Roxas replied wearily. Riku placed a hand on his knee, and he smiled. "Riku-nugget..." he mumbled. He cracked an eye open to see the silver-haired teen smile softly at the pet name.

"You don't want to leave home." It was more of a statement than a question, and Roxas opened his other eye.

"No, I don't." he said. "If I hadn't wandered off today, Sora wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"I don't mean just that. Every time you leave him - even when he's with your grandfather. Even if he's safe in a classroom when you come to see me after school, you're afraid to leave him alone for even a second." Riku continued. "I see you hesitate before closing the door if Sora isn't by your side - as if you want to run back inside and take him with you. I _get_ it, Rox. You're afraid that if you leave him again, something terrible will happen."

Roxas was quiet for a moment.

"I guess I do. But I feel responsible for him. I feel like everything that happens to him is all my fault." he said finally. Riku parked the car. Looking about, Roxas saw that they were in a parking lot on a high ledge, above town. The sun wasn't going to start setting for another hour, but still the view was phenomenal. Riku put up the console and reached an arm around Roxas' shoulders, pulling him close, and Roxas cuddled into his side.

"You shouldn't stay attached to him at the hip forever." he said. "When you go to college and do something for yourself, your family can care for Sora. Workplaces all over the place are giving sign language classes so that people can communicate with deaf co-workers. You don't have to take care of him your entire life." he encouraged.

"I wish it were that easy to accept." Roxas replied sadly. "If I hadn't left him alone, dad wouldn't have hurt him half as badly." Riku seemed displeased by Roxas' response, for he then held Roxas at arm's length, hands on the blond's shoulders. His expression was stern.

"Don't you go blaming yourself. It _isn't_ your fault." he said. "It's your _father's_ fault, and nobody else's. He could have handled himself better after your mom died, but he chose to act like a fool and drink himself into oblivion instead of taking care of you guys. If you don't think he's to blame, then you're goddamn crazy. You love your brother, don't you? Then you should be able to entrust him to others. He obviously doesn't mind you coming and going, so why should you care more than you need to? Just be glad that he's alive and well_._"

Roxas shook his head furiously. "I can't help it! Dad might have broken that chair over _me_, or thrown _me_ through the coffee table - ", a couple of tears made their escape. Riku's look softened and he pulled Roxas into a hug.

"Shhh. It's okay, babe." he said softly as Roxas sobbed into his shoulder.

"He could have tossed _me_ across the room! He could have broken _my_ arm! Why didn't I stay _home_! What's _wrong_ with me?"

"Roxas, calm down." Riku whispered gently. "Nothing's wrong with you, babe. Sora _let_ you go. If he had wanted to go, he would have told you. You know how he is, Rox, and if he was uncertain about it you would have known. Stop blaming yourself, Roxas, because you know deep down that if your father hadn't been acting up in the first place, none of this would have happened." he comforted, pulling Roxas close. He lifted the boy onto his lap. "C'mon, stop crying." he said, hooking a finger under Roxas' chin and lifting his face to look at him. He took a tissue from the compartment inside the console and wiped Roxas' cheeks and nose. "Geez, you're such a baby." he said, laughing gently.

"Nugget, you're so mean!" Roxas immediately whined, but he smiled weakly and laughed softly as he playfully swatted at Riku's chest. "I guess that makes you a paedophile." he added, sticking his lips out in a silly smile. Riku kissed them as Roxas maneuvered into a more comfortable position, straddling Riku's lap. The silver-haired teen was glad for the change of mood; it almost brought tears to his own eyes when he had to see Roxas cry.

"So it's role playing you like, is it?" he slowly asked with an amused smirk, reaching down and pulling a lever beside his seat to lean all the way back. On the way down, Roxas smiled.

"I like where this is going."

"You would, you little semen demon."

Roxas stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, before snorting with laughter and dropping his forehead to Riku's chest. Riku smiled.

"What's so funny?"

"That...is the most _fantastic_ thing you've ever said." Roxas replied, and after a pause, Riku laughed as well.

"Really, now?" he queried, reaching up and running his fingers through Roxas' hair. Roxas settled down as he leaned his head into the touch. "You know, you're the loveliest person I know." Riku said softly.

"Really now?" Roxas asked, parroting the older male. "You mean it?"

"Every word." Riku leaned up and kissed Roxas' cheek. "Why would I lie about something so truthful it's almost _painful_?" he smiled.

"You exaggerating _whore_." Roxas replied with a smile, leaning down for another quick kiss. "You lie. You lying liar." he joked, sitting back and leaning against the steering wheel. "You deceive me like tater tots. They deceeeeeive. They liiiie. Like you lie. Deceit!" he swatted at Riku again, and they both laughed.

"That's a lot of lying, but I thought it was the hobo in the cafeteria ceiling who steals your tater tots. Wasn't he the deceitful one?" Riku asked, rubbing Roxas' thigh.

"He came back down for ketchup once, I swear to Gaga."

"You'll catch him in the act once day, I'm sure." Riku rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious! That bastard's gonna get it." Roxas punched his left hand with the fist of his right. They started laughing again.

"I love being with you." Riku said. "You're so damn funny. All my friends are so boring. They're like the guys on King of the Hill who stand around the fence sipping their beer going, "Yup." but you...you're like...a good romantic comedy that you walk out of feeling really satisfied."

"Nice analogy."

"Thanks, I normally suck at them."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"...It's October." Roxas finally said after a few minutes.

"This is true." Riku replied, pulling the lever and sitting back up. "What're you thinking?" he asked, taking Roxas' hands into his own and lacing their fingers together.

"I'm thinking I want some free candy. Take me trick-or-treating." Roxas proposed with a smile, and Riku almost facepalmed.

"Why?" the older boy demanded, frowning. "I don't want to."

Roxas frowned back. "Because, Mr. Grumpy-face, nothing says "I love you" like a night of walking around in costumes and getting free candy." he said. "And you get to do me in the park after all the trick-or-treaters go home." he added, leaning forward to kiss Riku's nose.

"I'm in. Do I have to wear a costume?"

"But of course." Roxas grinned.

"Damn you and your delicious ass. What do I have to wear?"

"Hm...That's a good question." Roxas sat for a moment, stroking his chin. Riku's eyes narrowed.

"You have five seconds." he said. "Five..."

"What! Why?" Roxas cried angrily.

"Three...two..."

"Angel." Roxas said quickly. Riku blinked.

"What?"

"An Angel. You'd make a pretty angel." Roxas smiled.

"_Hell_ to the no. I would rather slit my wrists."

"Oh, come on." Roxas insisted.

"Well what would _you_ be, then?" Riku demanded, pulling his hands free from Roxas' and crossing his arms.

"I'll be a devil."

"Why can't _I_ be the devil?" Riku frowned.

"Because you're too luscious." Roxas said cutely, smiling.

"You're an ass!" Riku groused.

"You love it." Roxas replied.

"It's tight." Riku commented, slipping his hands into Roxas' back pockets.

"That it is." Roxas grinned again. "Wanna' do it?"

"When _don't_ I?" Riku replied immediately.

Promptly at nine o'clock, Roxas entered the front hall. He could smell the dinner that had been made three hours ago, and he heard Sora laughing in the kitchen. Grandpa Cid was cursing quietly.

"I'm home!" Roxas called, poking his head into the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Rox." Cloud said, not looking up from his crossword puzzle. "What did you do all evening?"

Roxas smiled. "Y'know, teenage stuff. Did a bunch of drugs and vandalized property." Cid whipped around in his chair and glared at Roxas, and Sora looked up curiously at his brother, wondering why Grandpa Cid looked so angry.

"I should hope _not_." Cloud replied with a laugh. "There's some food for you in the oven." he said. The kitchen smelled like garlic and Italian seasoning, and Roxas guessed that pasta and meatballs was on the menu.

Mmm. Them culinary skills was nummy.

"I really wasn't." Roxas laughed, and Cid turned back around, shaking his head and mumbling about 'goddamn kids and their stupidass jokes'.

Sora held out one hand, palm facing up, and brought it inward towards his chest. Then, with all of his fingers touching his thumb, he touched the corner of his mouth, then his cheek. Roxas smiled as Sora welcomed him home, tousling the brown spikes. Fingers extended, Roxas swept the middle finger of one hand quickly up his chest, asking how the brunet was feeling. Sora just gave him a thumbs up. Roxas returned the gesture before sitting down and speaking to Cloud.

"Really, all we did was hang out in the parking lot on that bluff above town. Nobody showed up, so it was just Riku and me. We just chilled." He said, shrugging. Cloud arched an eyebrow.

"Well _what_ did you do?" he asked. "Just sit in the car? That sounds boring." he said. Roxas shrugged. "We listened to the radio and talked about school. It wasn't much, but it felt really good to get out of the house."

"Well good, I'm glad." Cloud replied. "You deserve - " he was interrupted by Sora, who whined and began to pull at his own hair. He hated it when the others didn't sign while they spoke in front of him; he liked to have something to pay attention to if he wasn't 'talking', and at the moment he was sick of doing his homework. Roxas turned and watched him with sad eyes for a moment before pulling him into a hug. Sora stopped pulling at his hair when Roxas wrapped his arms around him, and crossed his own wrists over his chest and told Roxas that he loved him, and Roxas let go to do the same. Sora then hugged Roxas back tightly. In his brother's embrace, Roxas knew that he shouldn't feel the most at ease in Sora's presence, where he knew the boy was safe.

Riku was absolutely right; Roxas was terrified of leaving Sora alone again, exposed to any sort of danger that could cause him further harm - namely, their father - because deep down, he still didn't trust the man. Roxas wanted to feel at ease with Riku, with his friends - anywhere besides just at home with Sora, but it was impossible. It was just impossible to let go of what happened the last time he had left Sora all alone.

* * *

I move much to quickly from emotion to emotion and whatever...I confuse the hell out of _myself_, so don't even worry. xD

So yeah. The thing about the tots being deceitful and the hobo in the cafeteria ceiling is an inside joke between a friend and I from our Freshman year of high school. I'm sure it made you go, 'wtf rofl' anyway, so it's whatever. x3

Also all of the characters pray to Lady Gaga in lieu of God because...well, who doesn't like Lady Gaga? xDD

[Don't be a prick by answering that question =C ]

I also got rid of the delicious lightbulb thing - it was a little too stupid and nonsensical for the changes I had made, sorry! ;A;

ALSO I'm not sure if a deaf person would tug at his or her hair when frustrated, but I do know that when Sora is frustrated, he doesn't use his words. I'm gonna say it's something he's always done - always having had trouble using his words when in a bad mood, ja? Da.


	5. Finger Knitting

YEAY.

I just wanna mention that I'm not going to explain all of the signs thoroughly, so for those of you thinking you're learning sign language - stopit. xDD If you're looking to learn, shoot me an email and I'll give you the site I use to look up the motions. I don't actually know sign language very well at all, so the advisory against trying to learn it from this story goes double. I love y'all...but I legit don't know sign language worth a damn; I'm just looking up the signs and making educated guesses. Sorry!

* * *

Tie the yarn around your index finger. Now hook it around your middle finger, then hook it around your index finger. Hook it around your middle finger one more time, and let the yarn hang between the fingers. Now take the bottom loop and pull it over your finger. Repeat the last step again and again until your weaved yarn is at the desired length. Sora's hands worked deftly with the blue yarn, quickly knitting with his fingers. Within half a minute he already had a string of whatever two fingers could make – normally, Sora considered them to be stylish scarves and belts.

Roxas was acting weird lately, he thought as he worked. Te blond would tell Sora to wait right after school, and depending on the time, he would be gone for a few minutes to a full hour. Sora had picked up finger-knitting to pass the time of Roxas' mysterious absences. He hummed a bit – simple songs, the tunes of which he could still remember. He didn't know if he was humming them correctly, but it didn't matter, because nobody could tell him he was doing it wrong anyway. A couple of students looked over their shoulders at him, probably wondering why he was humming "row ,row, row, your boat" as he sat on the floor leaning against the lockers, humming and then quietly mumbling, "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily...life is but a dream..."

He had to go to the bathroom. For a moment he considered holding it until Roxas returned, but who knew how long that would be? He immediately concluded that if Roxas came back earlier than expected, then he could wait five minutes for the brunet to take a pee, and so he embarked on his journey to the bathroom. After doing his business and washing his hands, Sora made his way back to his seat in front of the lockers. He paused, seeing a familiar head of chaotic red hair bending over his knitting, inspecting it. Sora ran over and grabbed the knitting, tucking it into his bag. Forgetting that the senior probably couldn't even _comprehend_ sign language, his hands moved faster than his brain could process the thought.

He silently explained with rapid gestures that the knitting was his. The redhead stared at him, arching an eyebrow and asking something that Sora couldn't hear. The brunet kept going, thanking the redhead, telling him he was nice. When he finished, Sora smiled meekly and threw his arms around the redhead's waist before scampering into the nearest classroom, leaving the poor redhead utterly stumped as to what had just happened to him.

About an hour later, a figure in front of him and a hand ruffling his hair notified Sora that Roxas was back. The brunet looked up and smiled at his brother. Roxas signed that it was time to go, and took Sora's bag for him. Sora was tempted to ask where his brother had been, but he didn't - if Roxas wouldn't tell him, he probably didn't want anyone to know. It was a little suspicious.

Later, just relaxing in their bedroom, Sora was finger-knitting again on his bed as Roxas watched threw a pair of rolled-up dirty socks at his brother to geth is attention. The socks bounced off of Roxas' shoulder and landed in the hamper by his bed. When Roxas looked over, Sora asked him where he was going every day. After making him promise not to tell Cloud and Cid, Roxas explained that he was dating Riku. Sora paused to think for a moment. He then asked why Roxas wouldn't tell Cloud and Cid. Roxas replied by telling them he didn't know how they would react. There was a long pause between them before Sora recounted his meeting with the redhead. Roxas signed out his name.

A-X-E-L?

Sora nodded. He touched two fingers to his chin - Roxas was horrified. Sora thought Axel was cute! Then, Sora placed one finger to his own chin, then pointed away from himself. He then touched his forehead ith his index finger and turned it outward, then pointed at himself, then lay his palm over his chest and moved it twice in a clockwise circilar motion. Roxas couldn't believe what Sora was asking him to do - tell Axel for him? Roxas made a face. He didn't want to - not at all. He wasn't much of a fan of him - not in the least. He was just so...

Oh, but he couldn't resist Sora's pleading look. The kid had so little company to enjoy, so what right did Roxas have to deprive him of potential companionship? No matter who it was, the choice was Sora's, and Roxas couldn't control that. Heaving a sigh, he nodded, holdng his hand close to his right temple and moving his hand forward in a slight arch. Sora smiled, eyes wide with excitement as he tackled his brother, happily snuggling with him.

The next morning entailed the moment of truth. Roxas sighed as his brother turned to his own locker to get his things, and he spared a glance at the brunet and smiled. Roxas really didn't want to talk to Axel; Axel was rumored to be a huge jerk. All of the freaky punks associated with him, and even through Roxas liked the freaky punks – one of them, Demyx, was a very kindly, friendly fellow – he couldn't help but to be wary of Axel. He didn't want to automatically believe the petty rumors, but it was hard not to after what happened to Sora because of Axel's little spat with Seifer.

He approached the redhead's locker a hallway or two down from his and Sora's lockers. Axel saw him approaching, so he waited for the blond to reach him. "Howdy." the redhead greeted, eyeing Roxas cautiously. Roxas regarded him with the same look, daring him to say something insulting.

"Morning. Uh...I know...I know someone who fancies you." he said, shifting uncomfortably. He watched the redhead's eyes widen.

"Good lord, it's not _you_, is it?" Axel asked, not meaning to sound insulting, but he didn't want Riku coming after him with a crowbar or something.

"Shut up, it most certainly is _not_ me!" Roxas snapped, resisting the urge to carve a shiv out of his pencil and stab the older teen with it. Still not trusting the blond, Axel took a step back.

"Well who is it?" he asked slowly. Roxas sighed.

"My brother. You might remember him - he's the one you nearly _concussed_ yesterday." he said in an accusatory manner that had Axel narrowing hi eyes.

"Well then if your 'brother is to afraid to ask me face-to-face, I'm not interested." he said, turning and putting some things into his locker. "I don't need some scared little thing hanging all over me all the time." Roxas sighed impatiently.

"He can't tell you himself." he replied, crossing his arms.

"I'll consider saying yes if he asks me himself." Axel said through clenched teeth, leaning down and shoving his face into Roxas. Roxas made a face - Axel's breath smelled like an ash tray. He needed a tic-tac, _badly_.

"He can't." he repeated, shoving Axel away.

"Well why the hell not?" Axel was on the verge of decking this idiot, just so he could get on with his day.

"Because he's _deaf_." Roxas said slowly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ohh, so that's what that is..." Axel replied, remembering the brunet from the day before, flailing all over the place at him.

"It's Sora. My twin. I'm done now. Bye." Roxas grumbled, turning to leave.

"Tell him to meet me at his locker after school." Axel called after him. Irritated, but with a sense of great relief, Roxas went back to Sora and told him the good news.

After school the brunet waited, sitting in front of the lockers while Roxas got to have his time with Riku. He was finger-knitting again with rainbow yarn, distracted from anticipation. His foot was nudged by another foot, and he looked up, suddenly nervous as the vastly tall form of Axel sat down to be a bit more level with him. He was holding a pad of paper, which he handed it to Sora. On it was written neatly,

_"Well, ask me yourself."_

Sora looked up at Axel, and he felt his cheeks start to flush before he looked down and began to write slowly.

_"People don't think you're nice, but I do. Want to try being together?"_

He handed the pad of paper back to Axel, who read for a moment. It seemed he was re-reading it, because the question had taken less than one line of the small pad, but Axel's eyes went it over more times than Sora could count. Finally, Axel wrote his reply and handed the pad back to Sora.

_"You think I'm nice?"_

Sora looked up at Axel, who stared at him curiously. Sora nodded. Axel took the pad back. Sora could tell that not many people thought much of the redheaded senior who took the pad back and wrote something else down.

_"Why?"_

Sora arched an eyebrow at the question before replying.

_"Because you stopped fighting to help me. I think that's cool. You're kind, even if you don't think so."_

Axel read over the response with a look of incredulity before responding.

_"I guess I'll give you a chance."_

Sora grinned widely, and Axel sent back an awkward smile. Sora threw his arms around Axel's waist, hugging him happily. Axel hesitated for a moment, but returned the hug. Sora was warm and soft - and small, too. The brunet nuzzled Axel's neck, which startled the redhead, but Axel just let the brunet have a moment to get the joy out of his system. When Sora finally let go, Axel pulled away and stood. He scribbled one more note on the pad and left it with Sora before leaving. Sora was a bit disappointed that Axel was leaving without a goodbye, but hopefully, he thought, he'd see the redhead tomorrow.

Axel arrived home, dropping his bag on the floor as he flopped onto the couch.

"Welcome home." Axel glanced up, attempting a smile but only succeeding in a grimace.

"Hey, papa Leon." Leon drew his mouth into a thin line, about as much of a smile as Axel ever got.

"How was your day?" the man asked.

"Good. I got asked out by this deaf kid who thinks I'm nice." Axel replied, scooting over to allow Leon some room to sit on the arm of the couch.

"God forbid." Leon muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Is she nice?" the brunet asked.

"Yeah." Axel replied. "He's pretty cool, kind of touchy-feely though."

"Deaf people hug a lot." Leon said. "So you've got a boyfriend, then?" he asked with mild interest.

"Mhmm." Axel hummed. "Any problems with that?" Leon shook his head.

"Not at all. It's your business. I house and feed you, I'm sure you can handle the rest." he replied, and Axel smiled.

"You're a better parent than most, and you don't even try." He gave Leon a pat on the thigh, at which the older man rolled his eyes.

"I do try." Leon said. "You just can't see it."

"Mm...yeah, I guess you're right." Axel replied, grabbing his backpack and unloading his papers.

"Of course I am. Now do your homework; dinner's at seven." Leon then disappeared into the kitchen and left Axel to his homework, though Axel could hardly concentrate on it. He could only think about Sora, and wonder why the boy would ever want to go out with someone like him. Sora hardly knew him, and he was _deaf_. How would _he_ know anything abut Axel? It was eating at him. Could Sora notice more about people because he couldn't hear? It was weird. He seemed more understanding than a lot of kids in the school. He had to admit; Sora seemed to have a knowledge beyond his years.

Time passed too quickly for Axel, because sudenly Leon was calling him and everyone else into the kitchen for dinner. Including Axel, there were seven teens living in the fairly large house with Leon, under the man's legal guardianship. Among these were seventeen-year-old Larxene and her three-year-old daughter, Naminé. She had been raped when she was fourteen, and was also the resident bitch. Her parents had handed her over to government care when they couldn't handle her and the child anymore, and the Social Services department had been about to take Naminé away when Leon came to the rescue and took them both into his custody. He put Larxene through therapy, and she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. She was medicated now, which made her a lot easier to deal with than she had been when living with her parents.

Then there was sixteen-year-old Yuffie. She had her own child, named Kairi. Yuffie had been in Leon's house since the beginning of her pregnancy. Beforehand, she had been living with her very strict grandparents, who were going to make her abort her baby. She was having none of it, and ran away. Leon had adopted her after taking her in for foster care.

Demyx was a kindly blond with a punkish style, whose parents moved away while he was at school one day when he was ten years old. He had been shipped from foster home to foster home for a few years until he ended up with Leon. He, like the rest, had been adopted by the kind man.

Zexion was fairly new; he had been homeless before Leon took him in. Leon had tried very hard to locate Zexion's real parents, but to no avail. It no longer mattered, however, as Leon was a good father to him and all of the children who had the great fortune of living here.

Axel was the oldest of them all, being almost eighteen. He had been with Leon the longest, and had witnessed every single adoption. He cared for his 'siblings' as if they were his real family - because they were. No matter what he could have had, it was an inconsequential and fleeting idea compared to what he shared with Leon and the others. He couldn't imagine a life without his family; he couldn't fathom living his life any other way than this.

* * *

So for those of you reading this for the first time, I had Axel's past all set. I thought it was cool and original, and really dramatic. But...then I saw Repo! The Genetic Opera, and GUESS WHICH ROCK OPERA'S MAIN CHARACTER WAS BORN THE EXACT SAME DICKING WAY. /wrist

But it's cool, I guess I'll just have to make his story normal - there's so little of that nowadays; people having a normal past. SIIIIIIGH.


	6. Just a Survivor

Just saying - as I begin to edit this chapter, it's Memorial chapter, although he'd probably flay me if he ever knew this existed, I dedicate this chapter to my Great Grandfather, Charles G. LeBlanc, who died this past November, 2009. Although unaware of himself in his final days, indignant in death and not appreciated enough by his family in life, I'll always remember him as - though a man I never knew, and might have never wanted to know if we weren't related - a good man who was well-loved by our community.

I couldn't listen to some of the music during the assembly at school today; he served in WWII as an engineer, and they played that one song at his funeral - you know the one - and when they played it at school today it took all of my strength not to leave the auditorium bawling.

It was just distressing - he's at peace, now.

Here, have a chapter. :3

* * *

When Roxas finally came to get him, Sora jumped up and down, smiling brightly. Roxas took this as a sign that the little meeting with Axel had gone well, which was confirmed by Sora who was so excited that he began to speak as he signed,

"He said yes!"

Roxas' heart melted hearing Sora's voice. The brunet hadn't used it since he had become deaf, so he was probably feeling like he had just won the _lottery_ to be so excited as to use his voice again. However, it wasn't exactly how Roxas remembered it; Sora's voice was nasal now, excessively dependent on his tongue and the room of his mouth in forming all of his words. Roxas didn't allow it to bother him, though; he was just happy to hear his brother speak. Roxas took a moment to call Cloud and ask him to pick them up. At home, Sora was talking. All three other males were elated to hear him after such a long period of silence. Cloud sat across from him at the table, asking him about his day.

"It was great!" Sora replied happily.

Cloud felt like a million dollars. The last time he had ever heard his son's voice, he was whimpering in pain.

"Where's Grandpa? I have to tell you guys something great!" in his peripheral vision, he noticed his brother tense up beside him. Roxas inched his hand over and spelled out 'don't' in the palm of his hand, very slowly. Sora turned to look at him and shook his head.

"I'm not scared of them." he said. He looked back to Cloud, whose eyebrow was raised as he asked what his son wasn't scared of. Sora continued to smile brightly as his father turned around to call Grandpa Cid into the room.

Cid arrived, giving a gruff, "What?" to Cloud. He looked over at Sora. All eyes were on him.

"Remember the other day?" he asked, meaning the near-accident. Cloud and Cid nodded. "There was this guy who helped me, and he was so nice to me. I really like him! I asked him out today, and he said yes!"

The entire room was uncomfortably silent for Roxas. Cloud raised his hands to say something to Sora, but dropped them. He went through at least three false starts before checking Sora's memory.

"A guy?" he asked, directing the question at Roxas, but signing for Sora, who confirmed it by nodding. Cid turned and swiftly left the room. Roxas leaned back in his chair, tilting his head back and sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose to mollify the incoming headache. He had no idea what to expect. He figured it was nothing good when Sora was sent out of the room.

"Roxas, is Sora telling the truth?" Cloud asked. Roxas sighed.

"Why would he lie?" he replied wearily.

"No, Rox, what I mean is...well, if this is a joke, it isn't funny."

"Cloud, it isn't a joke. Sora is going out with a senior named Axel, now." Roxas said, wanting to end this. He was tired and wanted a nap before dinner.

"But - I mean...I don't understand why he would do this. Does this mean he doesn't like girls?"

"It just means he likes Axel. Who knows, maybe they'll break up and he'll see a girl he likes."

"I don't understand how he can...y'know...just _do_ that. Am I not giving him enough attention?" Cloud asked, looking distressed and confused. Roxas sighed irritably.

"You don't _get_ it. Sora saw someone he liked, and he asked him out. It's just that simple. You liked mom, didn't you? It's the same concept." he explained, trying to be patient with his father.

"But it isn't, though." Cloud insisted. "Because your mother was a woman, and this Axel fellow...doesn't seem to be a woman, see? Something's wrong with Sora; maybe I should go see what's bothering him." he mused. Roxas was becoming impatient with his father's childlike thought process.

"Cloud, _nothing_ is wrong with Sora." he insisted.

"But there's no other explanation! Something _has_ to be wrong; I can't think of any other reason why he'd -"

"Damn it, Cloud!" Roxas shouted, standing from his seat. He accidentally knocked the chair over, but he ignored it.

"Don't you cuss at me, young man." Cloud replied with a frown. "I didn't do anything to you. And pick that chair up, there's no reason to be throwing things around."

"You're being an idiot. Sora _likes_ Axel. There's something wrong with _you_ if you can't understand something so freaking simple." Roxas glared at Cloud, who fixed him with a stern look.

"Go to your room." Cloud ordered. "I'm not going to take this from you. It's uncalled for." Roxas' cheeks turned pink as he scowled, frustrated with the man.

"That's stupid. I'm not going to my room, Cloud, until you start _listening_ to me and stop being ignorant." Roxas replied, and Cloud sighed, as if he were trying to be patient with a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"I don't want to do this with you." he said calmly, although his expression indicated that his own patience was wearing thin. Roxas continued glaring. He wasn't going to give up on this, and he knew that his father was tired. Cloud would give up on this fight soon, Roxas hoped, though in actuality it would probably continue until one of them surrendered. Roxas had never gotten in a two-sided fight with his father, so he had no way of knowing how it would end.

"I'm not leaving this room until you shut the hell up and _listen_ to what I'm _trying_ to tell you." the younger blond replied. Narrowing his eyes, Cloud stood, towering over the boy. He looked very displeased. "You don't intimidate me." Roxas growled as he stood tall against his father. "I've slowly been able to start respecting you as my father because you're trying your damnedest to make up for the crap you put us through, but by the minute, you're losing me." Cloud just glared. "Don't forget that we are _equals_ in this house. I do what you say because I choose to, because I'm trying to be a good kid, but what you're doing - what you're thinking right now, what you're saying - is making me feel less and less obliged to take you seriously at all. At this rate, you'll be back to square one at the end of the night, buddy."

Cid walked in.

"What the hell is all this? Both'a you, siddown so I 'kin make supper." Cid ordered.

"Go watch Sora, please, Dad. Roxas and I are talking." Cloud ground out, not taking his eyes from his older son.

"What the hell for?" Cid demanded.

"Get _out_, Grandpa." Roxas warned.

"Don't 'gimme lip, Roxas." Cid ordered. "I'll bend you over my knee and - "

"GET .THE HELL. OUT." Both blonds roared, turning to him and looking quite livid.

"Don't you two be yellin' at me in my own house!" Cid ordered. "I oughtta' crack your heads together!" nevertheless, he turned and left the kitchen. In the silence that fell over the two as they stared each other down, the two could hear Cid ushering Sora out of the house and to the car. The two left, and Roxas and Cloud were now alone.

"So are you going to listen?" Roxas asked gruffly.

"To _what_? You, prattling on about how Sora's behavior is "normal"?" Cloud replied in the same tone.

"It _is_ normal! There's nothing wrong with Sora liking someone!" Roxas shouted, exasperated. "I've told you like, five time now! Are you so _fucking_ retarded that I have to say it seven-the-fuck _million_ more times before you finally - " That was the last straw. Cloud moved, fast as lightening, and slapped Roxas across the mouth with such force that when Roxas reached up to feel the spot, he drew his hand back with blood on his fingers.

"You do _not_ talk to me like that." Cloud said darkly. His son looked up at him, hand still over the reddening corner of his mouth and momentarily numb and bleeding lips, scowling.

"You are _such_ a dick." he said. "I'll talk to you however I want. I already told you; we're equals in this house, and you have no more authority over me than Sora. As a matter of fact, he probably has more authority over me than you do." Roxas spitefully informed the blond. "You know what, I don't care _what_ you think about Sora, or me." Cloud's eyes widene in shock.

"Roxas...not - not you, too?" he said, distressed. "What am I doing _wrong_? Why are you doing this to me and grandpa? A-Are you sick? Should I call a therapist...? I...I mean..." as the elder spluttered nonsense about Sora's disability possibly wearing on both of the boys' mental health, Roxas bit back more profanities as he glowered hatefully at his father.

"That, right there." he said.

"What?"

"You'e not listening. You're refusing to understand what I'm trying to tell you. Your'e not even _trying_; you're just sitting there and whining about how weird and wrong we're being, when it would benefit all of us if you'd just shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself. Whatever you think about me, and whatever you think about Sora - no one else cares. _No one_ cares as much as you do, and do you know what that makes you?" Cloud crossed his arms.

"I don't know, what does that make me?" he asked petulantly.

"An asshole. Everything you worked for since you got out of jail my respect, Sora's respect - you're going to lose it, because you're too pigheaded and stupid to get your head out of your ass. I'm not starting on a Gay Rights spiel right now, I'm not. I don't want to. But you need to learn that we don't have some sort of mental disease or something just because we're different, and until someone can pound it into that thick skull of yours...I'm leaving. And I'm taking Sora with me." Roxas turned and stalked toward the door.

"Who are you seeing?" Cloud demanded, stopping Roxas in his tracks. He turned his head to the side.

"What do you care?"

"Who is it?" Cloud demanded again. "I want to know."

"None of your damn _business_, that's who." Roxas replied, leaving the kitchen without another word.

Cloud heard Cid's truck pull into the driveway, and listened for the sounds of the car doors being opened and shut. He glanced at the doorway, then sat down in a chair with his face in his hands. Cid and Sora entered the kitchen, both pausing when they spotted Cloud.

"...What the _hell_ did you do, boy?" the older man demanded immediately, assuming that whatever was wrong, it was Cloud's fault. Sensing that something wasn't right, Sora rushed out of the room to find Roxas. Grandpa had told him that they were arguing, but from Cloud's expression as he looked up, it had escalated into something bigger. He made it upstairs, where Roxas was putting some neatly-folded belongings into a backpack. Sora rushed over and hugged him, and was given a note pad and continued on with what he was doing.

_"Dad and I argued. He thinks we're mental. I'm calling Riku."_

Sora looked up at Roxas and nodded, then obediently sat down on the bed and waited for his brother to finish packing. Cid came in. He observed the blond's activity for a moment before speaking.

"Roxas, please don't go...please, give your pop another chance..." he pleaded as Roxas crossed the room, still packing.

"He doesn't deserve another chance. He deserves a punch upside his stupid fucking head." Roxas grumbled as he stuffed a teddy bear into his bag and zipped it up, tossing it onto his bed beforeh e started on packing a bag for Sora.

"Hey, watch your damn mouth." Cid reprimanded, leaning against the door frame.

"No, I won't watch my damn mouth," Roxas replied sharply. "I'm sick of him! He's feeding me this crap, "Something's wrong! I'll call a therapist!" as if having boyfriends makes me and Sora a pair of nut jobs - and there you are, just leaving him to spout his idiot opinions at me!" he forcefully shoved clothes into the bag, realizing it was a bad idea when it became full to quickly. He dumped them out and began to fold them with a vengeance.

"Rox, I ain't got no problem with you an' your brother bein' whoever you damn well please, so quit treatin' me like I'm the bad guy, too." Cid replied, crossing his arms. Sora watched the exchange in distress, totally lost. Roxas stopped folding and sighed.

"I'm sorry, grandpa, you're right - but we're still not staying. I'm more Sora's guardian than anybody, and even though you're our _legal_ guardian, I think that I know better than anyone what's best for Sora and I right now. Give us some time. We'll come back, but exactly when rests on Cloud and what he decides to do." Sighing, Cid left the bedroom to talk to Cloud. Meanwhile, Roxas called Riku. It rang twice before he picked up.

_"Y'ello."_ Riku greeted as he answered.

"Hey, nugget." Roxas said softly.

_"Oh – Hi, Ducky."_ Riku said, his smile evident in his voice. _"What's up?"_ Roxas took a moment, trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say, which worried Riku. _"Roxas?"_

"Well, it's like..." Roxas started, feeling self-conscious about his request. "I need your help. Can you come get me and Sora?"

_"You _and_ Sora?"_ Riku asked. _"Roxas, are you okay?"_ Roxas paused another moment before answering.

"I'll explain in the car." he replied quietly.

_"...Alright. I'll be there in a few."_

"Thanks, see you then."

_"Hey,"_ Riku murmured, _"I love you."_ Roxas smiled softly.

"I love you more."

He was hoping that Riku's parents would put them up; Riku's father, though still getting used to the idea of his son having a boyfriend, didn't have the heart to turn the twins away in their time of need; he was a very kind man. Riku's mother just loved Roxas like a second son.

With any luck, all would be well.

When Riku pulled up, Roxas went out first to put his and Sora's bags in the trunk. He then went back inside to fetch Sora and put him in the back, and Roxas into the front.

"Roxas, what happened to your lip?" Riku asked as the blond went to buckle himself in.

"Dad and I had a fight." Roxas replied, not about to lie to Riku.

"And he _marred_ your perfect visage?" Riku looked scandalized. "Exactly _why_?" he demanded.

"Sora told him about Axel, and he starting being stupid, and I told him about you and I."

"Stupid how?" Riku asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Well he wouldn't listen to me. He thinks that being gay is some sort of mental problem or something - I ended up swearing at him a lot and he slapped me.

"...So he hit you because you and Sora are both - "

" - Like I said: I was swearing at him, and I was being kind of bratty." Roxas explained. "I'm not trying to justify - "

"You shouldn't try to justify it." Riku agreed. Roxas sighed, shaking his head.

"Listen, Nugget...I need to ask you a huge favor."

"Yes, you can stay at my house." Roxas was surprised.

"How did you - "

"You just got into a huge fight with your dad. You can't just go back home, and I'm the only person you can turn to. Ducky, I love you more than I could possibly say. My parents love you, and I'm sure they'll love Sora. Stay as long as you like. Hell; stay _forever_." He took one hand off of the wheel to grasp one of Roxas'. The younger teen smiled at Riku.

"On that note, I don't want you two going to school tomorow." Riku said. Roxas arched an eyebrow.

"Wait - why not?" Roxas asked. "It's not like I'm emotionally broken or anything."

"Today might catch up with you tomorrow. You're a little upset right now, but the gravity of your dad's words and actions could affect you tomorrow if you're left for even a minute to think about it. Do you really want to be at school when that happens?" Riku glanced over at Roxas with a stern expression.

"Guess not." Roxas replied softly. Riku had analyzed the situation so quickly and had come up with a solution almost immediately following; no wonder the older teen wanted to be a social worker - he was so good at handling these situations. He brought Riku's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Listen, when we get to my house, you two are to march straight upstairs and into my room. I'll explain everything to mom and dad, and you two will go to bed. You'll sleep in my bed until we get the guest room ready, do you understand?" Riku sent Roxas another cursory, stern glance to let his Ducky know that he was serious.

"Yes, _mom_." Roxas replied, rolling his eyes. Riku smiled softly, leaning over to kiss Roxas' temple after parking in his driveway.

OoO

Sora was shaken awake by Roxas, who was smiling softly at him. He remembered getting into the car, then suddenly he was waking up - though he couldn't remember falling asleep. Riku said something to Roxas, who turned and smiled at the silver-haired male. Sora smile,d as well; for a moment, it almost felt like he was part of a weird family in which Riku was the father and Roxas was the mother, and Sora was their son that they loved very much. Strange as it sounded, he liked it: the feeling that he was loved and cared for. He felt it through everything Roxas did for him. Even now, in the tender way the blond unbuckled his brother's seatbelt, the way he helped him out of the car, and handed him his bag. When Sora looked up, they were in front of a large, beautiful Tudor-style home surrounded by tall sturdy trees as beautiful as the house itself. Sora looked to Roxas, surprised. He had never seen Riku's house before.

Roxas curled the middle three fingers of his left hand, leaving his thumb and little finger to point outward. He thrust the hand forward and slightly downward. He curled both hands into the letter 'a', then placed them together, palms facing each other. Then, he spelled out Riku's name.

So they were staying with Riku? Sora nodded, understanding, brow furrowed. Everything was happening so quickly, it was like lightening speed. As Roxas stood and spoke to Riku, Sora thought about how much less confusing this would be if he could hear. Then again. If he could hear, they wouldn't be in this mess. Before he could form another thought, a blue-haired, blue-eyed woman came out of the house and greeted the other two boys warmly. Sora trailed behind them slowly. The woman smiled at Riku and hugged him, also hugging Roxas and kissing both boys' foreheads. She glanced over Roxas' shoulder, spotted Sora, and smiled at him. She said something to him, but he just stared. She frowned. Roxas put a hand on her shoulder and said something to her, probably explaining that Sora was his brother, and was deaf.

Sora smiled and waved when she looked back over at him. She came over and hugged him, and he eagerly hugged her back. He wouldn't pass up being loved on for anything - unless, of course, it was for being loved on by Axel. He smiled at the thought and how naïve and immature it sounded, especially since he had only just met the older boy. He felt the woman tugging a bit at his shoulder, and he allowed himself to be led inside. He and Roxas were each given a cup of hot chamomile tea, sitting at the dining room table with Riku and his parents while the older boy and Roxas explained the situation. The twins were then sent to bed. Changed into their jim-jams, the brothers curled up together in Riku's large bed and slipped easily into peaceful slumber.

* * *

**QUOTE OF THE DAY**

HIV and AIDS worksheet: What are other (less risky) modes of transmission?

Me: "Blood brothers", Extreme high-fives

OoO

I'm so great.

RADDAH -lifts lead farfle- DGKJDSFNGKLKJD I AM A BEAST. POUNDING OUT CHAPTERS LIKE A MAD CUNT.

GAH. Longass chapter, AND ALMOST 4,000 WORDS HOLY DICKS


	7. Awakening Tears

I haven't updated in a while because I'm lazy and like, never upload my stories here. Ah, well, here's the next chapter~

---

It felt like only a few moments of blissful sleep had passed before the smell of cloves and tobacco filled his nostrils. His eyelids fluttered open, eyelashes brushing up against denim. His eyes were met with darkness, and he almost thought that he had slept all the way to nightfall. But as he shifted, he noticed the denim-clad leg by his face, and the black hoodie draped over his upper-half.

He turned his head to look up, and a pair of curious green eyes peered into his own sleep-confused blue.

"Axel." he said. Axel smiled at him and lifted his own hands.

_"S-O-R-A_." He spelled out slowly. He had asked the guidance counselor at school to teach him the alphabet in sign language, and apparently it pleased Sora, because the brunet grinned widely and sat up.

_"A-X-E-L."_ Sora spelled back, and threw his arms around the redhead's neck. Axel's body went rigid, and Sora immediately let go. Axel didn't seem to be used to hugs. Axel pulled him back into it, however, and Sora smiled sweetly.

Axel finally pulled away, handing a note pad to Sora. He had written on it. The message said,

_"You weren't in school today. Riku knows you, I assumed, so I asked what was up. I wanted to talk to you more – about us, and stuff. I almost had to beat the truth out of him – and I came close to throttling him just to get him to bring me here."_

---

Axel watched as Sora read his message.

"You're stinking up my sheets with your cigarette stench." Riku said, leaning against his door frame. His arms were crossed, and one leg was crossed over the other. Roxas was nowhere to be seen.

Axel flipped Riku the bird. "Don't think I won't follow through on my promise to make you regret being born male." he threatened, as Sora handed the note pad back, smiling brightly. Axel glanced down at the reply he had written with the pen wedged neatly between the twisted wire binding.

_"What do you want to talk about?"_ was the reply. Roxas walked back in.

"_He's_ here?" Axel flipped another bird, and wrote his reply to Sora.

_"I think we should go on a date."_ he handed the pad back to Sora, who squee'd happily a moment later and began to feverishly write down an excited reply.

"Is there a problem?" Axel demanded, turning to face the two light-haired teens.

"Yes. You're an asshole and you smell." Roxas replied.

"Not only that, but you're near _Sora_. That alone just makes me want to brain you good and proper with a brick." Riku added. Axel rolled his eyes.

"Listen, mama bear and papa bear, this little Goldilocks isn't looking to have a go in baby bear's bed. So can you shove it up your gaping assholes for _five goddamn minutes_?" he turned back to Sora to read his reply. "Son of a _bitch_; It's like trying to reason with rabid _baboons_..." he grumbled as his eyes scanned the paper.

_"I like that idea. Any suggestions?"_

Axel stared thoughtfully at the paper for a moment before responding.

_"Let's trick-or-treat."_

He handed the pad back to Sora, who laughed upon reading the suggestion. Axel's cheeks felt a bit warm, embarrassed. He had a weakness for sweets. And of course, Sora was sixteen years old; he would find it childish. Deaf or not, just because he couldn't hear, it didn't make him mentally retarded.

Axel made a mental note to stop thinking of Sora as a little kid. The pad was set in his lap, and he looked down.

_"I'd love to!"_

Axel nodded. So Sora was also the type of person who really appreciated the value of free candy. _Awesome_.

_"What would you be?"_ he replied, passing the pad. It took Sora half a second to reply.

_"You choose."_

Axel smiled.

_"I'll get us both some costumes."_ he said. They sat there in silence for a moment after Sora read the response, just kind of..._looking_ at each other. His head twitching ever so slightly, Axel furrowed his eyebrows as he leaned awkwardly towards Sora.

"Oh, don't y' even _go_ there." he heard Roxas say. He smiled and changed his course to kiss Sora on the cheek. As he pulled away, Sora turned his head and caught his lips in an innocent, closed-mouth kiss. Caught off guard, Axel panicked and pushed Sora away as he fell off of the bed. He floundered on the floor for a moment before getting up on his knees and grabbing the pad just as Sora let out a startled cry.

He scribbled a quick note before Roxas stormed over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and half-dragged him out of the room.

"Out! 'Git out! 'Git the fuck out!" he shouted. "If I ever see you _lookin_' at Sora, I'll tear yer eyes right out o' yer face!" Axel pulled himself away from Roxas.

"He _startled_ me, you _freak_! God, you're like a _mother-in-law_! I actually _like_ him, but you're acting like a massive tool! Didn't you leave because your dad was acting _exactly_ like you are now?!" with that, Axel turned and left. He wasn't going to put up with  
that shit.

---

After Roxas left the room with Axel, Sora peeked out of the covers, to find the pad lying on the bed with a new message:

_"You startled me. I'm sorry. I'll bring your costume to you."_

Sora smiled, hugging the pad to his chest. When he looked up, he saw Roxas run into the room and practically tackle Riku. He was crying. Sora immediately stood, dropping the pad as he went to his brother, taking him from Riku's arms into his own. He hugged Roxas and rubbed his back, shoulders, and arms. He kissed Roxas' face and kept signing to him,

_"What's wrong? What is it?"_

Roxas could only shake his head and sign,

_"Just like dad. Just like dad. I'm just like dad."_

Sora shook his head.

"No. No. You're not. Not like dad. You're not." he said. "You're Roxas. You're like Roxas. You're my brother. Not like dad." in his worry, he couldn't be bothered to speak in full sentences.

Both Riku and Sora spent two hours trying to calm down a seemingly inconsolable Roxas, who finally tuckered himself out and cried himself to sleep.

---

The next day at school, Sora demanded [as forcefully as he could in writing] what Axel had said to Roxas. Axel sighed as he read the message:

_"What did you say to my brother?! When you left, he was hysterical! We couldn't calm him down!"_

he glanced down at the smaller brunet, who sat at his side glaring daggers at him. Roxas and Riku were off doing their own thing for a while.

_"I was protecting our relationship. Your brother freaked out and told me that I couldn't see you anymore. I got carried away, and I'm sorry."_ Axel turned away from Sora as he tossed the pad into his lap. Fucking _perfect_. He and Sora hadn't done much of _anything_ together date-wise _or_ otherwise, and he had _already_ fucked up.

He felt a gentle hand on his arm and turned to glance at Sora, who lifted the pad. On it, in big letters read, _"IT'S OKAY. I FORGIVE YOU."_

He smiled [just a bit], and turned back to Sora. He wish that it could be so easy as to just apologize using words, but poor Sora was unable to hear him, or anything, for that matter. He put an arm around Sora's shoulders as they just sat on the floor with their backs against the lockers, Sora's fingers entangled in yarn as he made an attempt to finger-knit and converse with Axel at the same time.

In a jumble of rainbow yarn, Sora began to write on the pad again. _"Did you get our costumes?"_ he asked. After all, Axel had said he would. Axel nodded upon seeing the message, and reached into his bag. He pointed to the bathrooms just across the way. He took the pad.

_"Let's go try them on."_ he suggested via paper. Sora gave him a queer look, but followed anyway as he got up to head toward the bathrooms.

FFFF short chapter is short. Whatever. :3


	8. Don't Mind Me, I'm Just An Announcement

Hey there!

I haven't been active on this site in a really long time, and like a skank, I haven't updated in a really long time.

THEREFORE.

I'm just putting up this chapter - an announcement, my lovely readers - that I've been re-reading this story and I - as the 'author - think it's utter shit. I hate the way it's written, the events are in a wonky order, and it was originally made to make a point that I no longer wish to make.

SO NOW THAT I'VE GIVEN ALL OF YOU A HEART ATTACK

I just want to let you know that I'm revising it. I'm like, the reigning queen of not finishing stories, but just last night a little angel came to my side [and by a little angel I mean my friend Jenn] and told me that I need to continue.

Now, I'm going to admit that I write these stories for other people to enjoy. But I enjoy writing them myself, as well, so it's nice and self-serving while at the same time allowing me to be a people-pleaser. I'm always trying to come up with stories and plots that people have never seen before; things I hope they'll like and find unique. As you may have figured out, I try much too hard to be unique.

LOLS.

So the long and short of it is don't worry, I'll update once I'm done revising the rest of the chapters. When I'm done fixing them all, I'll put up another announcement telling y'alls bitches to go back and re-read, because rest assured it will be different. Not too different; it will definitely be the same 'ole silence, just hopefully written better, and I'll even continue it.

Now, I hope to hell that you guys are patient and loving people, because I'm not continuing any stories until I have all of them revised - that's upwards of twenty-one stories. TWENTY-ONE, YOU FUCKERS.

heartsandlove.

In the meantime, I'll try to post some one-shots to appease y'all, and I'll even do requests. So head to my profile for my contact information; just gimme a prompt and I'll try to get to all of them.

ALSO, I'M GONNA BE A WHORE HERE AND TELL YOU THAT I ROLE PLAY.

Mostly Kingdom Hearts and L4D2, so yus. I also do originals. etc. So um...yes. I also need a steady beta, since my last one...well idfk where she went. So contact me if you're interested in that. To keep things from getting overwhelming, I'll probably want multiple betas and assign upwards of two stories each.

SO YEAH, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS GETTING TOO LONG, SO ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, WORRIES, OR THOUGHTS CAN BE ASKED VIA EMAIL OR MESSENGER OR WHATEVER CONTSCTS YOU FIND ON MY PROFILE, KAY? LOVE Y'ALLS ASSES. :


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